Chapter 302: Do You Wish for This?

“When did you say that?”

“You came up to me while I was standing at the door earlier, during your conversation with Bae-hoon in the room, and made your request.”

Hmm…

What should we do? I mentioned waiting in the restroom. Would you like to meet him?

At that moment, the man stood up and spoke to the person beside him.

“I’ll be right back from the restroom.”

The person who was about to pick up a spoon grimaced at his words.

“Just hurry up. Look at the way you’re talking at the table, tsk tsk.”

“Haha, I’ll be back in a flash.”

The man walked into the restroom, and moments later, I followed him inside.

The man washing his hands turned to look at me in the mirror.

“Good day, Mr. Kim. I’m Moon Se-jun.”

“Nice to meet you.”

While Moon Se-jun greeted me, he kept glancing nervously at the restroom entrance. I smiled softly and waved my hand.

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure no one comes in.”

Manager Ma was standing guard at the entrance outside.

I had ordered him to prevent anyone from entering if there was any sign of someone approaching.

“Why did you want to meet me?”

Moon Se-jun quickly responded.

“I’ll get to the point since time is short. Deputy Manager Jang Seong-taek is currently exiled to a collective farm in Jagang Province. Most of his close aides have been executed.”

“…So you’re saying he’s alive?”

It was the moment I had been curious about—confirmation of Jang Seong-taek’s fate.

Moon Se-jun nodded and continued speaking.

“The situation in Pyongyang is extremely tense. People are being indiscriminately executed for being associated with coup forces. Most of those who were at the pinnacle of power are now confined at home, stripped of their positions. They’re all trembling in fear, not knowing when they’ll be killed because the General might change his mind any day now.”

“And what is your relationship with Deputy Manager Jang Seong-taek?”

“We share a common dream.”

A common dream… I studied Moon Se-jun intently.

“As long as Deputy Manager Jang is alive, there’s hope. Please help him survive.”

“What you’re saying to me…”

Before I could finish my thought, Moon Se-jun interrupted eagerly.

“Aren’t you one of the few people who can meet with the General privately?”

“…To be honest, my relationship with Chairman Kim Jong-il has soured. If I were to try to rescue Jang Seong-taek, it might backfire on me.”

“Ah…”

Moon Se-jun sighed deeply, as if the sky had fallen on him.

“What about seeking help from the Chinese government?”

“The General doesn’t trust anyone. It’s already been revealed that the Russian Intelligence Agency is involved in this coup.”

Watching Moon Se-jun stealing anxious glances toward the door, I felt it would be difficult to continue the conversation any longer.

“Understood. I’ll look for a way. By the way, what was Bae-hoon doing?”

“Most high-ranking officials have been stripped of their positions, so we brought him in as a matter of urgency. I have the people from Room 38 beside me who I can somewhat trust. But what can someone who just handles money do…?”

I could imagine several possibilities from the bitter expression on Moon Se-jun’s face.

“I’m sorry. I have to take my leave now.”

Looking anxious, Moon Se-jun bowed and hurriedly opened the restroom door to exit.

As I watched him leave, lost in thought until the restroom door closed completely.

‘So, Jang Seong-taek is alive after all.’

After I followed him out, I departed the funeral hall with Manager Ma, heading for Pyeongchang-dong.

During the journey to Pyeongchang-dong, I became absorbed in organizing the information I had acquired today.

“Boss.”

I had returned home, but I hadn’t realized it as I was deep in thought.

“Oh, we’ve arrived. Manager, please follow me to the study. I need your opinion on something.”

As I entered the study, I took off my suit jacket and handed it to Manager Ma, loosening my tie as well.

“Let’s just have a quick coffee first.”

“Yes, Boss.”

After taking the suit jacket and tie, Manager Ma handed them to the ajumma working there and requested coffee.

As soon as I sat down, I got to the main topic.

“I heard that Jang Seong-taek is safe. But is this truly safe? Well, for now, it seems he’s at least alive.”

I gathered the fragmented pieces of information and explained them to Manager Ma.

“…Isn’t Room 38 the place that manages Kim Jong-il’s slush fund?”

“Since it manages a discreet slush fund, there should be trustworthy people there. So now, when no one can be trusted, it seems they’ve positioned them in key roles.”

Room 38 and Room 39. The places that manage Kim Jong-il’s direct funds.

Room 38 handled Kim Jong-il’s private slush fund and procured luxury goods he used.

Room 39 was the institution managing Kim Jong-il’s ruling funds.

While Room 39 was more publicly known thanks to earning foreign currency, Room 38 remained shrouded in secrecy.

However, after the massive purge, Bae-hoon from Room 38 had entered the center of power.

“So, it seems Bae-hoon might have an interest in Jang Seong-taek’s slush fund. Since he dealt with money, he would naturally know about Jang Seong-taek’s financial flow.”

Not only in North Korea but in the few remaining communist nations around the world, the Party was the greatest power institution.

An omnipotent power institution constructed governance funds through petty economic activities.

Yet the arduous march had led the North Korean economy to collapse, causing their significance to rise dramatically. Furthermore, there was no budget left for the military.

“Given North Korea’s economic characteristics, the Party, military, and administration all engage in different economic activities. Plus, Jang Seong-taek was responsible for trade with China. It’s laughable to think there’s no slush fund.”

“If he had been consistently asking the Boss about the slush fund, it seems he intended to make off with it himself.”

“I think so too. However, he mentioned he can’t ask Jang Seong-taek. Why could that be? I’d like to hear your thoughts, Manager.”

Manager Ma paused for a moment, contemplating before he spoke.

“I’m not sure how much power he holds, but he wouldn’t be able to interrogate or torture Kim Jong-il’s family directly. Unless, of course, he had Kim Jong-il’s permission.”

Manager Ma’s thoughts were similar to mine.

“If he were fully intent on eliminating Jang Seong-taek, it would be a different story, but surely he wouldn’t go that far, would he?”

“Kim Jong-il could very well be that kind of person. You’ve seen how he operates, right? He values his own feelings above all else. They’re not even close relatives, just the husband of his sister.”

“But then again, during my time in Africa, I saw with my own eyes the extremes dictators go to. They’re people who have no qualms about committing inhumane acts.”

If Kim Jong-il intended to kill Jang Seong-taek, he would have likely fabricated a pretext, divorced him, and then executed him on the spot.

The fact he was sent into exile rather than killed meant he likely wasn’t planning to murder him.

“How’s your leg, Manager?”

Talking made me concerned about the injury on Manager Ma’s thigh. I looked at the side where he was shot.

“It’s fine. No aftereffects.”

“Can we proceed with negotiations with Kim Jong-il again?”

“It’s no problem. What you want to do is what I want to do as well, Boss.”

I smiled faintly at his reassuring reply and nodded.’

“I’ll think about contacting him later. After that, we’ll decide what to do. However, it seems North Korea’s situation is much worse than we predicted.”

I couldn’t help but wonder how desperate they must be to seat their own treasury keeper in such an important role.

The treasury keeper should be a figure kept from everyone’s knowledge.

Should they trace funds through him, they could uncover the flow of Kim Jong-il’s slush fund.

For this reason, dictators never revealed their treasury keepers to the world.

“By the way, regarding Chairman Song’s burial in his homeland…”

“That was Chairman Song’s final wish. It seems Kim Jong-il granted it. Isn’t that a good thing?”

“I wish the world were that beautiful.”

If Chairman Song’s remains were buried in North Korean soil, Daehyeon would forever be tethered to Kim Jong-il’s whims.

Whether that was the right choice remained to be seen.

‘Chairman Song, do you wish for this?’

I wished I could ask Chairman Song Young-ju, who was in heaven.

* * *

“This is a letter from the Supreme Leader.”

Bae-hoon, who had entered the Blue House, handed the letter to Kim Hak-gwon and spoke.

“Thank you.”

Kim Hak-gwon accepted the letter from Bae-hoon, smiling.

Kim Hak-gwon didn’t dive into the main topic right away. He defused the atmosphere with some pleasantries before getting to the point.

“What’s the atmosphere like in Pyongyang? Can we now rekindle dialogue between the North and South?”

“That’s something only the great Supreme Leader can decide. I, as a mere representative, cannot speak for Chairman Song Young-ju’s condolences. My received authority only extends to transporting Chairman Song Young-ju’s remains to the Republic.”

“Hmm…”

“I hope the President makes a major decision concerning distribution.”

Bae-hoon didn’t act disrespectfully towards President Kim Hak-gwon either.

“Can I ask just one thing?”

“Yes, please go ahead.”

“What’s the reason for granting permission to create a grave for Chairman Song in the Republic? I can’t seem to grasp it, no matter how hard I think.”

Bae-hoon responded with a calm expression.

“There could be no other motive. It’s a decision made by the benevolent Supreme Leader. It is a reward for the good that Chairman Song Young-ju has done for the Republic.”

“Isn’t that unprecedented? The country should clearly know Chairman Kim Jong-il’s intentions, shouldn’t it? Did he not convey any specific message?”

“The Supreme Leader did not give any special instructions.”

Kim Hak-gwon felt a tightness in his chest from Bae-hoon’s unswerving behavior. The realization that there was no outlet for his feelings weighed heavily on him.

He couldn’t tell if he should accept this or reject it.

If only he were aware of the North Korean situation, he could have made conclusions, but the absence of information only deepened his uncertainty.

“Isn’t it a good thing? Even if a South Korean businessman dies, he gets to be buried in his homeland. If precedents like this continue to accumulate, one day a time will come when the Republic and South Korea can communicate freely.”

“Understood. If there’s nothing more to convey, you’re free to return to the hotel. After our meeting, I’ll give you an answer tomorrow.”

After Bae-hoon left, Kim Hak-gwon, now alone, let out a deep sigh and called all the relevant ministers and chiefs to the Blue House.

With opinions split halfway between support and opposition, President Kim Hak-gwon had no choice but to make a decision.

* * *

“It seems the media has caught a whiff of something.”

I put down the newspaper I had been reading and picked up my coffee cup.

“The Blue House’s media control isn’t what it used to be. It’s not quite a lame duck scenario…”

Until recently, whenever the Blue House requested a news embargo, newspapers and broadcasters adhered to it.

But judging by today’s front-page stories across all newspapers, it seemed the effectiveness of that control had waned.

“I wonder how the Blue House reached its decision.”

Knowing Kim Hak-gwon, he wouldn’t reject this opportunity, which aligns perfectly with his national policy philosophy.

At that moment, the study door opened, and Manager Ma entered.

“The Blue House is on the line.”

“Is that so? Please put them through.”

I picked up the phone handed to me by Manager Ma.

“Yes. This is Kim Mu-hyeok.”

— Oh dear, Mr. Kim.

It wasn’t the voice of the secretary but of President Kim Hak-gwon himself.

“Yes, President. What’s the matter this early in the morning?”

— It’s about burying the remains of Chairman Song Young-ju on North Korean soil.

As expected. There could be no other reason for a morning call.

“Have you made a decision?”

— Yes, a decision has been made. However, I’ll need your assistance.

“You need my help?”

President Kim Hak-gwon’s voice sounded unusually stiff. Why was he suddenly asking for help?

I began to ponder why President Kim Hak-gwon was asking for my assistance.